


The Ratty Old Map

by Chys



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe, Don't copy to another site, Gen, I like Percy ok?, Kreacher is a good elf, One Shot, Percy centric, Scabbers is a creep, Sometimes I pretend I can write, Unbetaed we die like men, many gnomes were harmed in the making of this fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-14
Updated: 2019-07-14
Packaged: 2020-06-28 01:12:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,432
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19801654
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Chys/pseuds/Chys
Summary: Prompt- HP: Scabbers is discovered to be Pettigrew in Percy's first few years at Hogwarts.





	The Ratty Old Map

**Author's Note:**

> The Real Chys Lattes: Did I forget to sign up for an exchange? Yes. (Because I honestly wasn't sure what frame of mind I'd be in and if I could even write anything at all, once committed.) Do I care if I get anything? No. Did I write this anyways? Yes. Enjoy!
> 
> Prompt- HP: Scabbers is discovered to be Pettigrew in Percy's first few years at Hogwarts.
> 
> Ok, so when I read that prompt I just opened up a word doc and typed this out, train of thought, as-is in one sitting. Unbetaed, sorry! (Is Percy a prefect before the Harry Potter series starts, or just as? It's been so very long since I've read the canon that I honestly forget. Let's pretend he is, if not then blame AU. I know he got Hermes as a gift for becoming prefect which was why Ron got Scabbers.)

A blur of black and red flew past Percival's face, a Gryffindor robe and scarf merging their colors in his peripheral vision. A second blur sped past the other side of his head and he realized with a sinking sensation in his gut that he should start running, or he'd never keep up, "Get back here! What do you two think you're doing out after curfew?" He gave chase as fast as he could, knowing his targets were merciless.

"Suck on a bloodpop, Percy! They're great for your blood pressure!" One of the twins, his younger brothers, shouted as they pulled to a halt on their brooms in the hallway before him. The twin on the left then pulled the red candy from his pocket and tossed it at their older brother with a casual wave. Percival caught it without thinking, inspected it momentarily and stuffed it in the pocket where Scabbers had been sleeping, accidentally poking the rat into wakefulness with the little wooden stick embedded in the bloodpop.

With gentle strokes, he massaged the pocket, his way of saying 'sorry' wordlessly for accidentally poking his pet. Scabbers gave a small squeak in response. The rat settled for sniffing the wrapper on the candy and trying to pry it open. Scabbers really would eat just about anything, it seemed. Maybe he was getting senile in his old age. How long do magical rats live for, anyway?

"Nonsense!" Percival responded, having to look upwards to meet his brother's amused eyes, knowing full well that candy flavored like blood had not ever been proven to alter a person's blood pressure, or else blood pressure regulation potions wouldn't need to exist! Those were most certainly still in circulation today. His younger siblings should really look these things up. He was about to say so, when one of them spoke up.

"Are they, George?" the twin presumed to be Fred asked, turning his broom to face his twin, a hand to his chin. 

"They very well should be, Fred!" the twin presumed to be George responded, waving his arm enthusiastically as if to emphasize his point. His red and golden scarf threatened to fall off his shoulders, sliding slowly down his arm. These days, the two of them had been trading names to confuse people, often meshing their names together for comedic effect. Percival did not approve. It was hard enough to tell them apart when they weren't doing that.

"All right, then!" Fred responded, teeth showing in his grin which was more of a teasing taunt now turned in his older brother's direction.

"Both of you, stop this instant! I will be informing our head of house-" the prefect stated, eyes narrowing in irritation. No one from his house gave him quite as much grief as the ones he actually shared a house with!

"-whose going to just nod her head in agreement with you. We know. Then you'll write to mum and then she'll send you another howler-"

"-with our names on it! Swell gift!" the grin grew wider and a bit more feral.

"Therefore it will be YOUR fault you embarrassed our family even more, Percy, in front of the entire school. Think on that one," the other twin nodded solemnly. Percival only glared in response. A lapping sound from his pocket informed him his pet had finally gotten the wrapper open and was already working on eating the candy.

"You two are walking embarrassments! Every moment of it would be thoroughly earned and deserved!" Percival pointed out.

"We're actually riding brooms at the moment, though. No walking needed!" they shook the end of their brooms in unison before they started flying down the hallway once more, but this time at a more leisurely pace to get him to give chase. Instead, the older boy drew his wand.

"Arresto Momentum! Slow down! You'll break your necks on those brooms!" he wasn't quite skilled enough in the spell to get it to work on a broom that had been professionally charmed against interference, by quidditch standards, it seemed.

"Nope! Hahah! Have fun running up the stairs, Perce!" Fred shouted behind him as the tail of his broom vanished down a corridor on an upper floor.

An old, yellowed paper had fallen from one of the twin's pockets and fluttered to the floor. Percy hastened up the stairs and looked down at the parchment at his feet. "Ah, what is this? A map? Goodness, this shows the entire school! Why, this is a security hazard!"

Minutes later Percival had found his head of house, true to his word, and quickly explained the situation to her, "This map, it seems to be a dangerous artifact!"

"Indeed. I can see every one of the inhabitants of the castle listed here, even the ghosts! The students in their rooms... ah, Professor Binns... your brothers up in the owlery! Whatever compelled them...? Well, thank you for turning this in. I will be sure to make certain it will be stored safely where no students will acquire it again. Filch will be delighted to take charge of it, I'm sure."

Thinking this could certainly lessen the number of students out of bed at night, in the hands of a professional like Filch, Percival leaned over the map, scrutinizing the contents and watching the inky name tags fluttering, "Wait... Who is Peter Pettigrew, and why is he so close to us? I don't see anyone else in the room, Professor!"

Scabbers furiously tried to climb his way out of Percival's pocket, scratching clear into his skin through his robes in the process, leaving a bloody trail along the red haired boy's chest. "Owch! Scabbers, wha-?"

With widening eyes, the old witch stood stock straight, staring at the map. Her eyes tracked how the rat, who finally found its way out of her student's pocket, was running at the door, the sticky film of a candy wrapper stuck to it's back leg... along with the tiny name on the map following the exact same location. 

McGonagall immediately whipped out her wand and expertly froze the rat into place, a dumbfounded and shocked look still etched on her wizened face. "If this is... but then..." she didn't bother to finish her thought, instead she quickly cast a silent spell at the rat, who instantly morphed and transfigured itself into a scraggly looking human man, laying prone and still at their feet. The student and teacher both gasped in horror, for differing reasons.

"Oh, my goodness!" McGonagall muttered, covering her mouth with her palm. She shook herself out of her stupor and wiped sweat from her brow, "Professor Dumbledore! Dumbledore!" She snatched the map from Percival's hands, then summoned a wispy, ethereal form in the air with a quickly muttered "Expecto Patronum". Percival watched, entranced by the advanced spell as it ran off in the direction of the kitchens. Confused, Percival followed the lead of his head of house and trained his wand on the intruder... who had once been his pet rat!

There wasn't much that could be said at this point. The dawning realization that his pet rat had all along been a man in transfigured form clawed into his mind about as painfully as the rat's claws had. "This, this can't be..." He wanted to deny it, undo it, pretend it never happened, but the evidence in this atrocity's favor sat still at their feet, unfrozen eyes moving rapidly between the two of them as if searching for something in desperation. Neither occupant of the room dared so much as move.

"Oh, I assure you, we will get to the bottom of this..." the transfiguration professor stated, steel in her voice. The fireplace behind her sputtered to life, and the headmaster of the school stepped through, his usually twinkling eyes alight with fire.

...

The next few hours were a blur of confusion, stress, and many, many aurors.

Percival couldn't get over the fact he'd shared a bed with a fugitive for most of his life. The very thought of it shook him to the core. What if this man had attacked his family? What could he have done? He didn't get much sleep, in the following weeks.

...

The trial lasted fourteen days, primarily because it took that long to get everyone together, and to clear Sirius Black for transport to the trial chambers. The Malfoy family was firmly against it, for some reason, and that kept mucking up the timing of things. Eventually Dumbledore managed to pull the right strings and get everyone who needed to be there together.

Percival discovered an innocent man had been sent to Azkaban, presumed guilty, with no trial. The fact that the perpetrator had hidden himself as a pet rat and was actually a death eater, made everyone at the trial gasp. It twisted Percy's stomach, knowing he had never noticed, never realized. He would have to be more cautious. Would have to take precautions, would have to fortify his home, protect his family... his older brothers firmly agreed with this sentiment, and decided to look into every protective rune and charm they could get their hands on.

Percy had thought he'd have his life planned out, get a good job at the ministry, a well paying career. His faith in the system had been shaken, quite abruptly. He began to reassess his interest in working for the ministry as he had to give testimony before the court, repeatedly, and had his honest words ignored. They even accused his family of intentionally harboring a criminal.

Veritaserum was brought in and distributed. Names were cleared. Confusion was finally cleared up as an end result....

Sirius Black, a man assumed to be a notorious criminal, was set free. Meanwhile, Pettigrew was given the Dementor's Kiss. Unsettling as that might sound, it made something in the back of Percy's mind feel restful. Innocent men should never be sent away with no trial. Percy thought once more on his potential at working in the ministry. Maybe change was in order...?

One week later saw the former criminal sharing dinner with the Weasley family, Molly treating him to his first home cooked meal in many, many years. He cleaned up well, for someone who had looked like little more than a haunted wraith as they dragged him into the courtroom, screaming of his own innocence.

The Weasleys had later offered to assist in cleaning up the Black family manor. The man even had his own house elf! Rotten little thing, Percy realized, it must have gone insane. Every time they tried to throw away a bag of obvious dark items and trash, it growled and would snatch it back, only to mutter about how his 'master wants Kreacher to keeps it!' As far as Percival could recall, Sirius had never said such a thing! Other than its oddities, he assumed it wasn't hurting anything. At least it knew how to cook.

Clearing out the manor was quite a busy job, but it kept their minds off of other things. Percival had even seen McGonagall there, helping to get rid of the dark things that hid in the corners, appearing to be something they were not. He learned a few spells while watching her work. She happily reverted to her teaching mode as she explained in careful detail what each spell did, and how to perform it. She observed his attempt all the while knowing this student, if not the others, was competent enough to get it on the first try. (He got it on the second, but her faith in him was what mattered.)

Sirius gave Percy his own permanent room at the Black manor. Percy wasn't certain how he felt about it, but had to accept or be seen as rude. "My home is your home!" The black haired man told him, clapping him on the back only to turn it into a half-hug. The boy reaffirmed it was nothing, but the man wasn't listening. He handed him a butterbeer and told him stories of when he was young, insisting they stay up long past a reasonable bed time. For once, Percy didn't comment and instead, just listened. With deep chagrin, with every successive story about pranking from his student years, Percy realized Sirius was almost a true-life role model for the twins, and determined to keep them away from each other least they become bad influences on one another.

Percival was thanked no less than two hundred times, by almost half that many people, every time he went outside for a solid week. (Or at least that's how it felt!) His face was featured in the papers, and he still didn't know what he had done to deserve it. Witch Weekly featured an article on his 'bravery in capturing a criminal'. (The cover featured some pompous author named Lockheart, and he knew very well his mother had bought the magazine for the soul purpose of collecting yet another of this author's world famous smiles. She did, however, hang the article on the wall in the hallway in a prominent place between Bill's room and the toilet, where absolutely everyone would see it daily. Fred or George somehow managed to charm it to glow in the dark, which actually impressed Percy when he first saw it. He later found it beyond annoying when he realized the light seeped in under the crack of his bedroom door, even from a hallway away.)

Fred and George sold a 'book' around the school about 'Living with rats, and other undesirable freeloaders' which supposedly detailed the life of a fugitive rat in hiding. For some reason this occasionally waxed poetic about being an only child in an alternate universe. Percy had snorted at reading this. Who would ever want to be an only child? His siblings drove him mad, yes, but they were still his family. He had a long talk with them about that harmful mentality, which resulted in a tearful fight in the back yard. (Many gnomes were harmed, due to the embarrassment of admitting they loved their brothers. So they threw tiny, sharp toothed creatures at each other's faces in retaliation. This was never to be mentioned again... except Ginny got pictures.) 

The Quibbler picked their 'novel' up and ran with it. The twins suddenly had enough money to do just about whatever the two of them wanted. Surprisingly, they shared some of it with their siblings, in the form of various gifts.

They bought Percy another pet owl. (Because Hermes 'looked lonely' they said.) 

He named her Justice.

.


End file.
